TC and the American market
The MG T-Series in 1948
By 1948 the MG TC was selling in numbers to the United States, carried home by returning servicemen, despite being built only in right-hand drive. Mechanically it was unchanged: 1,250 cc XPAG at 7.4:1 compression, 54.5 bhp at 5,200 rpm, beam front axle, 19 in wire wheels.
In production this year
Production notes
- The TC continued in production through 1948, with a large proportion of output exported.
- TC numbers were issued straight through, so a 1948 build is established from the T Register record rather than the number.
Engine and chassis traits
XPAG engine
The 1,250 cc XPAG four-cylinder overhead-valve engine with twin SU carburettors, 66.5 mm bore and 90 mm stroke and three main bearings. Confirm the prefix stamped on the block rather than trusting a seller's description — XPAG engines were swapped freely over seventy years.
Right-hand drive, wire wheels, beam axle
Every TC was built right-hand drive on a beam front axle with 19 in centre-lock wire wheels. A left-hand-drive TC is a later conversion, not a factory car.
Reading the numbers on a 1948 car
- TC chassis prefix; XPAG engine prefix.
- A left-hand-drive TC is always a conversion — the factory built none.
Only the MG Car Club T Register factory production records give an exact despatch date. Enter your numbers in the dating tool for a likely span first, then confirm it against that record.
1948 cars in the registry
No verified 1948 car is recorded in the registry yet. If you own one, add it to the registry — chassis and engine numbers from real cars are how a year like this gets properly documented.